Kalidou Koulibaly #3

Profile

Senegal’s regular captain is one of the most respected defenders on the planet. Before his spells at Chelsea and now Al-Hilal, he spent eight years at the heart of Napoli’s defence, winning the Coppa Italia and becoming a club icon. He made the choice to represent Senegal, the country of his parents, in 2015 after representing his native France at youth level. After his first World Cup in 2018 the “Minister of Defence” was Senegal’s rock at the back as they won their first African title in 2022, when the captain refused to let go of the trophy for several hours afterwards. Wearing the armband has become a sacred duty for the 34-year-old: “When you wear the shirt, you carry the hopes of 18 million people. You don’t have the right to be tired, nor to be afraid.” After injury problems towards the end of the season in Saudi Arabia, he has proved his fitness just in time.

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